Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship
by Kimberly T
Summary: This started as a 100-word prezzie for another fan, but it turned into a drabble series about the adventures of Broadway and Bluestone, Private Investigators!
1. The Beginning

A 100-word birthday prezzie by Kimberly T.

**The Beginning Of…**

Broadway whistled as he carefully painted the names on the door. They could have hired a professional to do it, but this way felt more satisfying.

Matt's hip injury had caused him to be medically retired from the police force, but hadn't dulled his keenly analytical mind at all. And with his connections, getting all the licenses he needed for his new career had been easy. Getting his partner's licenses had been more difficult, but in the end, they'd managed.

Broadway looked in satisfaction at the words he'd just painted:

**Bluestone & Broadway: Private Investigations**

This was gonna be great!

-

_Happy Birthday, Doppleganger! Kimberly T._

Author's note for everyone else: The title for this drabble was taken from Humphrey Bogart's famous line, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Broadway is so definitely a Bogart fan!


	2. getting started

They'd been officially in business for three days now, and in that time they'd already had five interviews with assorted news stations and magazines. They'd expected that, as Broadway was the first-ever gargoyle private detective, and had the answers to the usual questions down pat.

At the end of yet another interview, Matt Bluestone ushered the reporter from the Times out the door, just as the phone on the desk rang. Broadway answered it while Matt asked wearily, "Who is it this time, Newsweek?"

But Broadway's eyes gleamed as he covered the phone's receiver long enough to say, "A _**case**_!"


	3. first case

"Take a look, partner; our first paycheck!" Bluestone said with a grin as he waved the client's check in the air.

"Yeah, I guess so," Broadway mumbled.

"What's wrong?"

"Well… all we did was follow her husband around to find out whether he was cheating on her and who he was doing it with. I was hoping for something more…"

Matt guessed, "More criminal? More exciting? More 'Bogart-worthy'?"

"Yeah," Broadway admitted sheepishly.

"I warned you before, this is a private detective's bread-and-butter work. We'll pay our bills with cases like these. But cheer up, eventually we'll get something more exciting…"


	4. excitement

After his hip had been shattered by a Quarryhammer, several surgeries and intense physical therapy had enabled Matt Bluestone to walk again, with the use of a cane. But the NYPD's consulting physician had regretfully said he'd never run again.

However, the bullets currently whizzing past gave Matt plenty of incentive to run, for cover behind a nearby dumpster. He reached cover just as Broadway swooped in with a roar, coming down hard on the shooters. Afterwards, Broadway said anxiously, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Matt lied as agony radiated from his hip. "So, was this case exciting enough for you?"


	5. pro bono

For their sixth case, they actually said no payment was necessary. But their client insisted, so Bluestone solemnly accepted and wrote out a receipt for two dollars, for services rendered. Then they smiled as the eight-year-old child walked out, cradling in his arms the puppy Broadway had found for him.

"Cases like these are normally good PR, but I hope Mikey doesn't refer his friends to us," Matt said ruefully. "We need more well-paying jobs."

"I was fighting crime for years before I got paid for anything." Broadway grinned. "What say we blow this whole paycheck on ice cream cones?"


	6. Matt hates magic

"Okay, tell me again how it happened?"

Broadway said earnestly, "I was sitting here reading, when I heard this weird music, and I got the feeling that someone was in trouble… and just as I got up, this statue just appeared on your desk! Poof! Except there wasn't a poof, and the music stopped too. This is a case, isn't it? Someone's asking for our help!"

Matt pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yep. And betcha dinner we won't get paid for it, either."

"But we're still gonna help, right?"

"Of course. Looks like there's a note underneath the statue…"


	7. magic case closed

After they returned to their office, Broadway declared, "This was the weirdest detective case ever. Talking _dust bunnies_… And in the end, we just found a _Snoopy doll_ for them, and they acted like it was the world's greatest treasure!"

Matt shrugged. "One thing I've learned over the last few years is that with magic, there's usually more than meets the eye. We may never find out what that was all about."

"Yeah… but we got paid for it! Didn't you bet me dinner on that?"

Matt nodded, reached into his pocket and pulled out… dead leaves. "Yep. You're buying."


	8. partners and stakeouts

"How's it going, guys?" Elisa asked as she handed over the small bag that Matt had asked her to bring them.

"Another night, another stakeout," Matt sighed. "Four hours so far, and all we've had are false alarms."

"Yeah, he keeps acting like he's going to go out and lead us to the stuff he's stolen—and instead, he keeps going to the bathroom!" Broadway complained. "He must have Monty Zima's Revenge or something."

"That's _Montezuma's_ Revenge. Anyway, thanks for bringing fresh batteries for the surveillance equipment, Elisa."

"You never did pack spare batteries, for our stakeouts," Elisa teased fondly.


	9. Broadway hates Cabal

Broadway followed Matt through the front door of their office, partly because he was in no condition to glide in through the window, with one wing joint badly wrenched. And partly because Matt's hand trembled with fatigue as he leaned on his cane; Broadway wanted to be ready to catch him if he fell over.

Broadway muttered, "The Illuminati can officially go eat gravel. I don't care how much they pay us; I'm never going inside that screwball 'hotel' ever again!"

Matt fervently agreed with him. "But we solved the case… and I am going to _**double**_ the Grandmaster's bill!"


	10. good guys

Their fourteenth case involved a missing teenager, whose parents had come to their senses and were anxious to have her back.

They almost didn't find her in time. But Broadway glided with her straight to Manhattan Medical's emergency room, and the doctors were able to pull her through the combined drug overdose and hypothermia that had nearly killed her.

Afterwards, while watching the girl sobbing in her tearful mother's arms, Bluestone said softly to Broadway, "Good guys win again, partner."

"Yeah," Broadway agreed. "Can we waive our fees for this one too?"

"_**No**_, and will you quit asking that already?!"


	11. scotch on the rocks

Their latest client had not only paid his bill in full, he'd given them a bottle of aged scotch whiskey. "Scotch on the rocks; Bogart's favorite! I always wanted to try some," Broadway said happily as he held out an ice-filled glass.

Matt paused before pouring. "You've never had it before? But I've seen Xanatos's wine cellar; the man's got several cases of everything."

"Yeah, but we normally don't touch it. This is different; we _earned_ this! Come on, pour already…"

They toasted each other and drank, and after his first swallow, Matt agreed. "Ohhh, yeah; well-earned whiskey tastes best."


	12. the consultant

Lexington tapped the keyboard a few more times, then leaned back in satisfaction as he gestured for Matt and Broadway to look at the monitor. "And there's the end of the money trail. Through no less than five different shell corporations; your guy knows his money-laundering! But this proves he's as dirty as they come."

Lexington made printouts as Matt mused, "This not only cracks the case, it should net us that bonus for solving it before our client's big meeting! Thanks, Lex!"

"Yeah, thanks, Lex!" Broadway agreed.

Lexington grinned. "Don't thank me yet; wait till you get my bill!"


	13. exceptions

Soot-stained and aching but happy, one man and gargoyle watched another man and gargoyle leave with a carefully wrapped bundle. The heavy wrapping almost muffled the eerie, beautiful music coming from within; a joyous farewell.

Once they were out of earshot, Broadway nudged Matt and said, smiling, "You forgot to give them our bill."

Matt stared at him incredulously. "Broadway, we just helped _King Arthur_ recover one of the _Lost Treasures of Merlin_! You don't ask for _money_ for something like that!"

"Oh really, Mister Bill Everyone? Mister 'we deserve to get paid for our hard work'?"

"Oh, shut up."


	14. doughnuts and memories

Broadway opened the window and came in, to find Matt waiting for him. "What took you, partner? Sunset was over an hour ago."

"I made a detour on the way here; I had a real hankering for these," as Broadway held up a box of doughnuts. "You want some?"

Matt grinned. "You have to ask an ex-cop that?"

As they ate, Broadway hesitantly asked, "You still miss it, don't you? Being a cop, I mean. You got really quiet when we were at the 55th Precinct last night."

Matt admitted, "…Yeah, I miss it. But this life's pretty good too."


	15. when to use a gun

Forced to flee on foot, they'd run through a water-filled storm drain, hoping that water would confuse their tracker; delay him until they could reload with—"Whaddaya mean, we're out?!" Matt demanded, "Didn't you grab the other clip I made?"

"No, I left it for you! You know I don't use guns!"

"Broadway, when you're fighting a _werewolf_, whose bite just might turn _**you**_ into a werewolf, you use _silver bullets_ and that means _**you use a gun**_**!**"

"Hey, you didn't even _**know**_ he was a werewolf until I told you what I'd smelled! 'Just another divorce case,' _**you**_ said…"


	16. culinary detecting

Grinning, Broadway insisted, "Come on, admit it; you couldn't have solved this case without me!"

"We couldn't have solved half our cases without you," Matt responded readily. "But why's this one so important?"

"Because _I'm_ the one who figured it out! Usually I just find the clues, while you put everything together and figure out whodunit. But _I'm_ the one who figured out the cookbook was actually a codebook, and the codes were the extra and wrong ingredients in each recipe!"

"Don't sell yourself short when it comes to our regular cases. But I'll agree, you're definitely a culinary detective!"


	17. cash in advance

The man who had just been revealed as a Fey trickster glared at them, saying, "So I suppose now you won't take my case?"

"I didn't say that," Matt replied. "But our rule for Fey cases is: _Cash in Advance_. After all, how do we know the Weird Sisters won't come along at any moment and drag you back to Avalon?"

"Cash in advance, eh?" Raven grinned, pulled out a roll of bills and began peeling off twenties.

Matt touched the money with an iron rod from his desk drawer. "We prefer _real _cash," he said as the bills vanished.


	18. another exciting case

"Got another case," Matt announced as Broadway came in. "And it starts right now; grab the camera, and the recorder with the directional microphone too."

Broadway smiled and cracked his knuckles. "What is it this time? Taking on another gang of Dracon-wannabee's? Another Illuminati job? No, don't tell me…dealing with the Wolf Pack! They swore they wouldn't hold a grudge…"

"No, nope, and not even. Or at least I hope not; try to get in a discreet sniff or two. Another divorce case, and this time the husband's hiring us."

"Oh, the excitement," Broadway sighed as he got their equipment.


	19. exciting enough

The vampire shrieked and went for Matt, but Broadway roared even louder as he intercepted it. With the rubber tip removed, Matt's cane served as a blunt wooden stake, and gargoyle strength drove it clean through the vampire's heart in one stroke.

"Sever the head, too!" Matt shouted from where he'd fallen. But lacking a knife, Broadway had to _pull_ the head off.

As the vampire crumbled into dust, Matt said shakily, "That was too damn close, partner."

"Yeah," Broadway fervently agreed. "Next time I complain about our work not being exciting, just whop me upside the head, will you?"


	20. anniversary

Broadway came in carrying a cake holder, and Matt smiled as he asked, "What's the occasion?"

"Don't you remember? We opened this office one year ago tonight! You might think it's hokey, but I wanted to celebrate our first year in business."

"Did I say it's hokey? I'm just wondering how well cake will go with this," as Matt showed him a bottle of scotch.

Broadway cut the cake while Matt poured them both scotch on the rocks. They clinked glasses together as Matt proposed, "To the continuing partnership of Bluestone and Broadway."

Broadway agreed, "For many years to come."

-FINI-


End file.
